Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-10-20
Educational Column.
METHODS IN PENMANsHIp.

/ METHODS IN PENMANsHIP.
/ The writer, having taken a course in
this subject in a comm ercial college,
aud been teaching it some ten years
since, claims some acquaintance with
the most approved methods of this
much neglected art.
Position and movement are every
thing in this subject. Without these
graceful writing with ease and rapidity
is an impossibility. When work for
months and sometimes for years, can
truly say, trying to correct the errors
of pupils in these two matters, feel
my righteous Indignation arising
against the teachers of these pupils
both for what they have done and have
not doEe-their sins Of omission and
commission.
! The riting material (slate or paper)
should be parallel with the desk. The
right side of the pupil sdould be turned
to the desk with no pressure of the
body aga; inst the desk. The feet or legs
of the writer should not be crossed.
All the fingers and thumb should be
considerably curved. The backs of the
nails of the third and fourth fingers
should rest upon the paper. The hand
should not touch the paper, the fore
arm and third and fourth fingers being
the only parts resting npon the writing
material. The thumb should be held
upon the pen opposite the first joint
of the finger. The pen should cross the
| root OF the nail of the middle finger,
which should be more curved than the
fore finger. The pen should be even
| with the kDuckle of the fore-fnger. Be
careful to keep the hand on line with
the forearm: that is, do not bend 1t at
the wrist. Turn the back of the hand
so that the pen will point nearly to-
wards the shoulder. There are four
movements in writing; viz. the finger,
the forearm, the wbolearm and the
combined. The one used by all rapid
business writer's il the com mbined. W hich
consists Of the union of the finger and
forearm movements. The latter 10 us
ed largely, however, alone. especially
in the construction Of the capital letters
and Is the one mcst difficult to develop.
Until it is thoroughly developed, do not
! try to teach the com bined movement.
In this movement the forearm moves
and the third and fourth fingers glide
over the paper, the thumb, fore and
middle fingers not moving independ-
emily atall. Watch these two matters
In all your written work. Require
proper position and forearm naoOc.
naent.
WORKING HOURS OF THE TEACHER.
| Many persons think the teacher has
an easy time of 1t" 80 far as the work
Ing hours per day are concerned. "Just
think of IL! We have to work ten and
twelve hours per day, and that fellow"
mea ming the teacher, "is compelled to
put in only six hours!" Friend, this
may he true In regard to the work OF
many teachers, 'sschool bosses"
should cay. Yea, it is true. There 10
a class of teachers, however, who are
faithful to the trust committed to them;
class WHO have the highest interests
of their pupils at heart. This class will
average eight and ten hours of school
work daily five days In the week.
You ask show is this? Is 1t necos-
sary?"
The teacher, we will suppose, has at
least Il following programme of work:
Fourth and fifth readers. primary and
intermediate geography, orthography,
arithmetic, grammar (may beg u. 3.
history, written WI ork, consisting of ex-
aminations, compositions, &c. Every
teacher, though he he a college gradu-
ate, will examine at least IS per cent. Of
the lessons he teaches, that he may be
able to properly present the lessons to
his class. There will be matters in each
lesson and al!usions to facts, which, IL
the teacher knew at one time. have at
least partially been forgotten. These
matters must be looked up outside OF
regular school hours. The textbook was
designed for what the word indicates.
By proofs and illustrations the gist of
each text must be impressed upon the
mind of the pupil by the teacher. No
more is the teacher, without special
preparation, fit for this, the summum
) bonum of his work as an instructor,
than is the preacher in the pulpit With
out a special study Of his text. A gen.
, eral knowledge of the bible would not
I be sufficient. Again, the teacher must,
If he causes his pupils to go beyond
! "skin deep" In the subject. be able to
: present the subject without the text
book in his hand. What would you
) think of a doctor visiting patients and
being compelled to carry his medical
+ books with him and citing down by
4 the bedside of hIs patient iher- to scan
4 his books for hours before he could
diagnose the case. You would say
|, "Leave here, you quack, and familiar
ize yourself with the contents of those
books before visiting another patient"
i ITO be couktuuedI